Headlight for toy locomotives



June 12, 1928.

L. cARuso HEADLIGHT FOR TOY .LocorioTIvEs Filed Jun 9, 1926 INVENTORLouis Caruso ATTORNEY Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS cAnuso, or IRVINGTON, NnwJERsEY, AssIeNon TO THE LIONEL conronn-TION, on NEW YORK, n. Y.,.A CORPORATION or new YORK.

HEADLIGHT non TOY LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed June 9,

The present invention relates to headlights for toy locomotives and ismore particularly directed toward the provision of an improved devicefor carrying screw base miniature lamps such as are commonly employed inlow voltage circuits having grounded returns.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved lampsupport for electrical toys such as toy locomotives, al-

though it is suitable for use in other than the toy art. Where theinvention is made up in the form of a locomotive headlight, it employsasimple die casting having the threaded lamp socket formed in it, andhaving a passage-way for a removable insulated contact carrying memberso that current may be conducted tothe base of the lamp. The inventionalso contemplates the provision of a simple and expedientmeansoffastening this member in place after the body casting is fastenedto the locomotive cover.

An object of thepresent invention is to provide an improved' toheadlight body made out of a die casting aving such a configuration asto provide a lamp socket, and fastening devices, and to associate withthis die casting an easily constructed contact or terminal in such amanner that one may readily assemble the complete device in place andconnect the wiring without exposing the same.

Other and further objects'of the invention will appear as the.description proceeds.

-The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating theinvention, one of the many possible embodiments in which it maytakeform, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of theinvention rather than limiting the same.

Inthese drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the toy thereon;

locomotive showing the headlight mounted 1926. Serial No. 114,634.

a toy locomotive headlight, the die casting 10'is made up to have anexterior surface simulating the locomotive headlight. As here shown,this die casting has a socket 11 threaded at 12 to cooperate with thethreads 13 on a miniature lamp base 14. This socket is carried in anormally horizontal axis so'that the light from the bulb 15 is directedin thedesired direction. The casting 10 is also provided with a verticalpassageway 16 which extends up from the bottom of the casting past therear, or base of the lamp socket. The casting is also provided with arearwardly extending lug 17- andwith a threaded hole 18 for thereception of a fastening screw.

A contact carrying member 20, shown more in detail in Figure 4, is madeup from two pieces of sheet insulating material 21 and '22 of generalT-shaped configuration. A conducting strip 23 is placed between the twoinsulating strips. This conducting strip is of substantially the sameshape as the insulating strips but is preferably narrower so that theinsulating strips extend beyond it along all edges. The upper end of oneof the insulating'strips is provided with a hole as indicated at 24 sothat the upper end of the conducting strip is accessible as a contact asindicated at 25. This upper end may be bent outwardly as indicated inthe drawings if desired. The lower end of the T-shaped contact carryingmemher is provided with a binding post in the form of a screw 26 whichis threaded into the conducting strip 23 and which is at tached to awire 27 against a conducting plate 28 carried on the contact strip.

This contact carrying strip can be slid into position inthe passageway16 from underneath as indicated in the drawings and it affords aconvenient method of conducting the current to the baseof the lampsocket and providing an insulating terminal for the lamp socket.

The headlight may be conveniently mounted in place in various manners,and, as here shown, ascrew 29 passes through a thin metal-plate 30through the cover or roof 31 of the toy car or other support and intothe tapped hole 18 in the die casting. The plate 30 has an aperture 32through which the rearwardly extending lug on the casting 10 may pass,as well as accommodate the contact carrying member. The aperture 32 ofthe sheet metal member 3-0 is caughtbetween the lug and the car roof 31.The

sheet metal member hasa bent projection '33; the lo we'r extremityofwhich may be bent inwardly as indicated at 34 so as to engage with thelowerehddf the T-shaped contact carrying strip to hold it into position.

Where these devices are used on toy locomotives, they may be reed ilyassembled and fastened in" place. The casting andsheet metal strip 30are held in placelbyt'he screw The wire 27 for the headlight may befastened to the contactc arrying strip which be inserted into positionby passingyit through the. hole 32' and ajhole ,in the car roof; andheld in place bending thebendable member 34 against lower end, Thissecurely fastens the parts in place, makes it unnecessary to carry anywires" out,-

side the locomotive body, and insuresa good electrical contact for allparts. M v b It is obviousthat the invention be embodied in many formsand constructions Wi h n he en f" cl a d I. i it to be understood thatthe particularlform s n' shul e of t m in rms. V ious modifications andchanges being possible, I doj nototherwise-limit myself in any waiy withrespect thereto.

, claim: L

nse n.M XJ iDQfiY pe er, a headlight in the form of a casting haying anormally hQIlZOIltHd'.SOCk6t fora lamp, 3 h1g on; the casting passingthrough an aperture in the locomotive coyer, a screw for fastening thecasting inplace, a removable contact passing from the interior of thecover into the se of the socket toprovide a central" contact for thelamp, and means eho fl e remo b e qn t in P ace, 2. The combination withthe sheet metal 1 9 'ytl y como ve, f h a ht consistin of a unitarycastinghavingiprovisions for mounting it on" the cover," a socket, alamp base; anda passage for the insertion of an insulated contact from,the' inside of the cover to tlle base of the socket,'

and an insulated contact carried in said p iss gec ac a M 3-1 c m n nsasee m ltc re or my locomotives, a locomotive. headlight casting fastenedon the top of the; coyer,:said casting; haying a socket foreminiaturelamp base and haying a rearwardlyjextending lug P s t rough an p r u ein th o r and engaging underneath" the cover, and b a screw forfastening the casting or'jthecover.

4; In combinatiomasheet rnetjal coyer for toy locomotives,a locomotiveheadlight castingearried on the top off the cover, sald C s g. h v ng".a oc t a m nia r ampa e va v r al pMes a ey t e n ng from the lowerside of the casting to the base of the sbclfetythe hi1 aperture in linewith'the passage-way, and an insulated contact carr ing member extendregtli 'roh h are" ewe ane iipftflfi nd 'hayi 'aii eghsfi 6e 11:11 forcontactingwith, the. lamp base.

52 Inboifibififlfion, a sheet metal cover for toy locpmptiyes aloeomotive headlight castmg carried ont I; topof the cover, said cast sa ng sec et o a in tur amp base, a. verticalwpassageway extending fromthe lower side of the casting to" the base of the socket, the coverhaving; an apert rein naw t th 'p se er ay, ed eiileted contact-carryingmember; extefidin through the passage-way and'apertl re and hey inglen"exposed terminal for eontactin A with the mp ase, the a c s in h v e a 3a e t nd-i g r rwia lyt rQ thqpfle ger i y 39 p ss hgcthr l t e ar r riecovf and disposed nderneath t e eovgn;

myf ecbm ti esiml om l a he 6 In qmbin oxw et m giaei fz g' c v t w d.6n he a s ft k5 1i casting h i e oek t 9? 8.4 111% a e i egte' base, avertica passageway n, i l a. .1 vomi 7 h lower de t the e eki the f 9?.

the socket, thecoyeghavin a e i hihe netge New? teeth t ct rryi '16 l Ath e k p s a e-w y an preempt e la ded, osed terminal for contacting witt e l qnp B s an e. v h ewP L b d eiirertw we e l. w h; e we taietcarryingqmember for keeping it in p g t i \..-,l 1 i 7- In embine i :efitfl hl We"? y. eme i ee a hee /Wi hee lli ht e ing, a d 3,99,. t e t9 Qta i h ia U P Q BIQPWLQ. amp e eirer eglf efie. fgi r lw g' rom the lowersi e of t e c as a e of he c e reehe ies iaP ne in ne w h it ele e' t 'efl i e? E k el e h ne tCatr a.ineeberl g elir hr h th sie e?! mmrape megheri n ex qee aer me1;wga s e ith th lemr ba e the meeti extending w lia f tfi e esei ayi and p s ne t hm ag I ela t e. the cover and isposeunderneath, t hq gibv r; nd a; she t m I m m t Sabr 9 l wee th 11 seesiie i tm .hw ng e B 91 able portion engageable with the 9m: rym'member for e ing i I e;

1 ee fiineti 1 r hee nm tellfiewe for 1 toy locomotives, a" lobngptgyehea casting carried on thejtop o t e coye i s a g a i ri g we k F. er e,e ie m Jeep l l i re e ee fab interposed metal strip of smallerdimensions than the insulating ieces, said contact carrying member extening through the passageway and aperture and having an exposed terminalfor contacting with the lamp base, a binding post on the contactcarrying member, and means for holding the contact carrying member inplace.

9. In combination, a sheet metal cover for toy locomotives, a locomotiveheadlight casting carried on the top of the cover, said casting having asocket for a miniature lamp base, a vertical passage-way extending fromthe lower side of the casting to the base of the socket, the coverhaving an aperture in line with the passage-way, a contact carryingmember in the form of two inverted T- shaped pieces of sheet insulatingmaterial and an interposed metal strip of smaller dimensions than theinsulating pieces, said contact carrying member extending through thepassage-Way and aperture and having an exposed terminal for contactingwith the lamp base, a binding post on the contact carrying member, thecasting having a lug extending rearwardly from the passage-way andpassing through the aperture in the cover and disposed underneath thecover, and a sheet metal member supported between the lug and cover andhaving a bendable portion engageable with the contact carrying memberfor keeping it in place.

Signed at Irvington, in the county of Essex, and State of New Jersey,this 7 th day of June, 1926.

LOUIS GARUSO.

